1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of microphysiometers and, in particular, it relates to single-use disposable devices and reagents, and reusable peripheral parts, used in conjunction with a microphysiometer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art describes cups which have a filter membrane on the bottom and such cups are usable for filtering and grouping cells on the inner surface of the membrane ("Selected Methods in Cellular Immunology", Edited by Barbara B. Mishell and Stanley M. Shiigi, University of California, Berkeley, Editorial Consultants: Claudia Henry and Robert I. Mishell, University of California, Berkeley, Published by W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, Copyright 1980, pp. 37, 40, 43, 61, 62, 63 and 64). Also of interest are silicon electrodes for use in microflow cells described in U.S. Pat. Nos 4,591,550; 4,737,464; 4,741,619; 4,704,353 and 4,519,890. These patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Further prior art takes the form of commercially-available single use vessels for the culture of living cells. In general, because of the extreme sensitivity of living cells to the chemical and physical nature of their environment (including potential problems with infection by bacteria, contamination by endotoxin or by cleaning solutions), it is preferable to use culture vessels that have been manufactured under carefully controlled conditions and then thrown away rather than cleaned and recycled. Although commercially-available single-use vessels take many forms, including bottles, tubes, and single or multiwell covered dishes, the closest commercially-available prior art items are all essentially manufactured versions of the design described in the first reference given in the previous paragraph (specifically pages 61, 62, 63, 64 of that reference). Manufacturers of such items include Costar Corp., Cambridge, MA, (product name: Transwell) and Millipore Corp., Bedford, MA, (product name: Millicell).